Inclusive Education: Is it possible in mainstream education?

by Amal Malik, Co Founder SEPLAA Young Leaders’ Club

The Rising Sun Institute invited the SEPLAA Young Leaders Club to take part in a Seminar on Inclusive Education. I attended and learnt a lot about the various policy loop holes, difficulties of the physically challenged and the importance of inclusive education.

Inclusive education means that normal and special children study side by side so that the special ones don’t feel neglected and the normal ones learn empathy.

The SEPLAA Young Leaders have been conducting inclusive activities with special children since December 2016. What we felt was, there is a lack of general awareness about how to deal with special children and how to best involve them in various activities.

Most schools in Pakistan are more keen to keep special children in separate schools. One wonders why? Is it because of the educational policies of Pakistan or the fact that schools feel the children might get bullied? In any case, if the problem of bullying can be addressed, normal and special children studying side by side can be the much needed training in empathy for growing children.